MU puts Mbeumo in a difficult position.

Bryan Mbeumo is reluctant to directly make decisions about when he will participate in AFCON 2026, fearing a backlash from the Cameroonian public.

Bryan Mbeumo has just been voted Premier League Player of the Month for the first time in his career.

According to The Times , Manchester United are about to send a formal request to the Cameroon Football Federation to ask permission for Mbeumo to stay in England to play two important Premier League matches on December 13th and 21st, which coincide with the Cameroon national team's training camp in preparation for the African Cup of Nations (AFCON).

This is similar to Andre Onana's case last year, when Manchester United also asked the goalkeeper to join the Cameroon squad late. However, Mbeumo himself did not want to make the decision and left everything to the Cameroon national team and the MU management.

Mbeumo fears a wave of public backlash in Cameroon, with critics accusing him of prioritizing his club over contributing to his country. Although the Cameroon national team will play its first match in AFCON on December 25th, their star players must report for training 2-3 weeks beforehand. According to FIFA regulations, clubs are required to release players to the national team for AFCON.

MU hopes Mbeumo will be excused from joining the training camp early so he can play against Bournemouth (December 13, home) and Aston Villa (December 21, away) - two direct rivals in the race for the top 6.

With his explosive form (5 goals, 1 assist in just 10 games), Mbeumo's absence could cause Manchester United considerable trouble during the Christmas and New Year period.

Mbeumo was born in France but chose to represent Cameroon from 2022 after meeting legend Samuel Eto'o. He made his national team debut at the 2022 World Cup.

AFCON 2026 will take place in Morocco from December 21st to January 18th, 2026, threatening the ambitions of many Premier League teams as key players are away playing for their national teams, including Manchester United.

Cameroon is in Group F with Ivory Coast, Gabon, and Mozambique. If Cameroon progresses further, Mbeumo could miss up to six matches, including the Manchester derby (January 17) and the FA Cup third round. Last year, MU persuaded Cameroon to let Onana stay until after the Fulham match (he only missed one game).

Source: https://znews.vn/mu-day-mbeumo-vao-the-kho-post1600930.html